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United States Patent 0 3,158,316 WRITE-EN VQBTKNG KIARD Film VOTBNGMACllilNE SYSTEMS llluel R. Clark, halt lhalte tCity, Utah, assigncr toliiarrie D. White, Salt Lake City, Utah Filed Aug. 1, 1963, her. No.299,221 7 tjlaims. (El. 235- 0) The present invention relates to votingcards usable as auxiliary or ancillary ballots for automatic votingmachine systems and, more particularly, to a new and improved compositeballot card usable for voting for write-in candidates.

Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide anew and improved write-in card or ballot for using in automatic votingmachine systems.

A further object of the invention is to provide a writein card or ballotwherein spaces in which write-in selections are made may be sensed by amechanical or electronic means so that tabulation of voting selectionsmay be facilitated in automatic voting machine systems.

A further object of the invention is to proved a new and useful write-incard for voting machine systems wherein the voter is accommodated inmaking writedn selections in a simple, direct, and assured accuratemanner, and is further convenienced by suitable indicia so that the cardmay be easily introduced in the voting machine system accommodating thesame.

A further object of the invention is to provide a voting card whereincovering strip removal from a composite voting card will presentperforations suitable for mechanical or electronic sensing oppositespaces designed to receive write-in selection, this in a manner suchthat sensing of selections for particular offices, for example, may bemade in a fool-proof and accurate manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a write-in cardfor voting machines wherein covering strips are provided over write-inspaces and perforations registered therewith such that the removal of acovering strip uncovers not only the perforation to be sensed but alsosolely that write-in space on the card which is in correspondencetherewith.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing'from thisinvention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in theappended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of this invention.

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the base card employed in the compositevoting card or ballot contemplated by the present invention; forconvenience of illustration the medial portion of the card is indicatedonly in brokenline configuration, and it will be understood that thewritein spaces, line number indicia, and sensible perforations employedwill extend substantially through the entire body of the card. 7

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1, is compressed lengthwise forconvenience of illustration, and indicates the composite voting cardwherein the base card shown in FIGURE 1 is provided with a plurality ofcovering strips which cover respective lines on the voting card base;the tab portion of one of the covering strips is pulled back to indicatethe manner in which the covering strips are removed from the base cardof the ballot.

FlGURE 3 is an enlarged, sectional detail taken along the line 33 inFIGURE 2, indicating representative means of adhering the individualcovering strips to the base card of the ballot.

FIGURE-4 is a similar to FIGURE 3, but illustrates that once aparticular covering strip has been removed, the voting user may write inthe name of a candidate he desires for a particular office, and the factthat a write-in candidates name has been written in may be sensed fromthe perforation uncovered and in registry therewith.

In FiGURE 1 base card it includes along its right-hand margin ll amultiplicity of mutually spaced, linearly oriented, write-in, sensibleperforations 12 which are respectively aligned with a multiplicity ofwrite-in spaces 13. The latter are respectively identified by indicia 14which come under a column, at left hand margin 15 of base card it),identified as Line Number. Of course, other types of indicia such asletters may be used to identify the respective Write-in spaces 13, wheredesired. Furthermore, the perforations while preferably linearly relatedand mutually spaced, may conceivably be disposed and slightly displacedorientations so long as registration with the respective indicia l4 andthe write-in spaces 13 is maintained.

Suitable indicia 16, 1'7, and 18, visible whether exposed or covered bythe covering strips 20, and with appropriate instructions thereon, aregiven in order that the card may be properly placed in the receivingslot of a voting machine, not shown, in order that exposed ones ofsensible perforations 112 may be properly detected by the votingmachine. It will be noticed that the indicia 16, 18 are important todetermine intended translational movement of the card into the receivingslot of tne voting machine and also (see indicia 17) to insure that thecard is not placed backwards in the slot.

FIGURE 2 indicates that the composite voting card 19, in addition toincluding base card it), also is provided with a multiplicity ofcovering strips 2% individual ones of which preferably include thewriting indicia Remove Covering From Line Before Writing 2% or somesimilar instruction. The individual covering strips 2t) each preferablyinclude tab portions 21 which protrude somewhat beyond the right handmargin 11 of base card it) and facilitate removal thereof. The coveringstrips 20 are preferably translucent and, indeed, preferably transparentsuch as the character of a clear acetate material. In the course ofmanufacturing the composite voting card 19, there will be disposed uponbase card ltd certain adhesive dots 22 to accommodate the releasablesecurement to the base card it of the several covering strips 20. Onesuitable type of adhesive is an adhesive going under the name TippingGlue identified as 1-MC82 and manufactured by the Pierce SpecializedEquipment Company in California. Other types of adhesives are possible.While conceivably the adhesive could be applied either to the individualcovering strips Ztl or to base card Jill and this either in dots orother configurations or conceivably completely along the linesrespectively covered by the covering strips Zil, it is deemed preferablethat but two dots 22 be supplied each line as indicated. The third stripfrom the top of the upper three series of strips of FIGURE 2 is shownwith the tab portion 211 bent over to expose its associated, sensibleperforation 12. This will be a condition which occurs when the votercommences to remove the covering strip from a particular line so as toindicate that the line has been written upon and is therefore to besensed by the voting machine, not shown, to be used in the system.

FlGURE 3 is merely an indication, shown in enlarged cross section, of aportion of a composite card 19, indicating the presence and dispositionof the individual adhesive dots 22 in the composite card.

In FIGURE 4 is shown a composite card 19 wherein one of the writingspaces 13 has been uncovered to permit its sensible perforation 12 to beuncovered and also to allow the voter to write in the name of thewrite-in candidate for a particular ollice which he selects. Hence, ifdesired, the numeral 3 in FIGURE 4, as indicia 14, can represent aparticular office and the name written in John Hancock signifying thewrite-in choice of the voter for that particular ofiice. It is thus seenthat many oliices may be accommodated by use of the inventors compositecard.

In operation, a voter will be presented with a voters write-in card,i.e. the composite voting card 19 shown in the drawing. The card will bepresented to the voter such that all lines 1 through 30, for example,see FIGURE 1, will be covered by their respective covering strips 2%.

When the voter desires to write in the name of a candidate for aparticular office, then he will simply remove the appropriate coveringstrip, to expose space 3, for example, as shown in FIGURE 4, and thenthe voter simply Writes in the name of the write-in candidate heprefers. This writing will be done in the space 13, see FIGURES 1 and 4,which is uncovered by the removal of the associated covering strip 20.Simultaneously with the presentation of the particular Write-in spaces13, there will be exposed the associated sensible perforation 12 which,through conventional switch means, not shown, may be sensed, indicatingthat thevoter using this particular card made a write-in selection atspace 3.

While the indicia 1 might conceivably be printed on the covering stripsthemselves, it is desirable that the covering strips be transparent toreveal the indicia 14 through covering strips. The tipping glueemployed, adhesive 22, may also be of a transparent nature so that theindicia 14 as in FIGURE 4 may be easily read through the covering strips20.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in theappended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A write-in voting card for automatic voting machine systems, saidvoting card including, in combination, a base card provided with amultiplicity of write-in candidate writing spaces and a plurality ofperforations in respective registry therewith, and a multiplicity ofcovering strips, individual ones of which are individually removablyaffixed to said base card and removably disposed over respective ones ofsaid writing spaces and also over corresponding one of saidperforations.

2. A voting card according to claim 1 wherein said base card includeswriting space identification indicia disposed in correspondence withrespective ones of said writing spaces.

3. A voting card according to claim 1 wherein said base card includeswriting space identification indicia disposed in correspondence withrespective ones of said writing spaces, and wherein said covering stripsare transparent, said indicia being viewable therethrough.

4. A voting card according to claim 1 wherein the same includes indiciameans for directing insertion of said voting card into a voting machine.

5. A voting card according to claim 1 wherein said covering stripsinclude tab extremity portions protruding beyond said base card andfacilitating grasping thereof for removing said covering strips fromsaid base card.

6. A write-in voting card for automatic voting machine systems, saidvoting card including, in combination, a base card provided with amultiplicity of write-in candidate writing spaces and a plurality ofperforations in respective registry therewith, and a multiplicity ofcoveringstrips individual ones of which are individually removablyaffixed to said base card and removably disposed over respective ones ofsaid writing spaces and also over corresponding ones of saidperforations, and adhesive means for releasably securing said coveringstrips to said base card over said writing spaces and perforations asaforesaid.

7. A voting card according to claim 6 wherein said adhesive meanscomprises spaced adhesive dots proximately disposed with respect to theextremities of said covering strips.

No references cited.

1. A WRITE-IN VOTING CARD FOR AUTOMATIC VOTING MACHINE SYSTEMS, SAIDVOTING CARD INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION, A BASE CARD PROVIDED WITH AMULTIPLICITY OF WRITE-IN CANDIDATE WRITING SPACES AND A PLURALITY OFPERFORATIONS IN RESPECTIVE REGISTRY THEREWITH, AND A MULTIPLICITY OFCOVERING STRIPS, INDIVIDUAL ONES OF WHICH ARE INDIVIDUALLY REMOVABLYAFFIXED TO SAID BASE CARD AND REMOVABLY DISPOSED OVER RESPECTIVE ONES OFSAID WRITING SPACES AND ALSO OVER CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAIDPERFORATIONS.